Device for practicing harmonica technique



March 24, 1931. w c P SON 1,797,613

DEVICE FOR PRACTICING HARMONICA TECHNIQUE Filed Jan. 10, 1950 INVENTORBY 071L144 ATTORNEY5 Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES WALTER C.PETERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS DEVICE FOR PRACTICING HARMONICA TECHNIQUEApplication filed January 10, 1930. Serial No. 419,932.

My invention relates to improvements in devicesfor practicing harmonicatechnique, and it consists in the combinations, constructions andarrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device for practicingharmonica technique in which means is provided whereby the device'may beassociated with an harmonica of standard construction and easilyoperated by a student, as when practicing. A further object is toprovide a device of the type described in which novel means is providedwhereby a student may learn to play the melody independently of thebass, and in which novel means is also provided, whereby the bass may bepracticed simultaneously with the melody.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this application, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of anharmonica showing my invention associated therewith,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic View showing a chart embodying symbolsrepresentative of a tune and which may be used in connection with myinvention,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of my invention as applied to anharmonica,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a top plan View of my invention, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a slightly iflerentform of my attaching structure.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of an harmonica 1 of standardconstruction and having end portions 2 and openings 3. A selectingdevice 4 is formed to conform to the cross sectional contour of theharmonica and is arranged for easy sliding movement upon the harmonicawhen associated there- 'with, as shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5. The

selecting device is provided with a plurality of openings 5 to 9,inclusive. The selecting device is provided with flange portions 10 sothat the player may use his cheeks to slide the selecting device 4 overthe openings 3.

In Figure 3 I have shown the selecting device as being provided with apointer 11 having one end 12 arranged substantially in alignment with aplate 13 upon which numerals indicated at 14 are arranged. The plate 13is associated with arm members 15 which are forked as at 16, whereby theforked portions may be slidably disposed upon the ends of the harmonicaand frictionally retained thereto.

It will be noted in referring to Figures 3 and 5, particularly, that Ihave provided a spring member 17 which is rigidly secured at 18 to thesliding member 4. The spring member may be provided with a suitablesealing member 19, see Figure 5. The sealing member may be formed fromleather or any other suitable material and secured to one face of thespring member so that when the latter is pushed into engagement with thesliding member 4, the openings 6 to 9, inclusive, will be effectivelysealed.

The opening 5, as will be seen from Figure 3, is open at all times. Theopenings in the sliding member 4 are spaced apart so that the openingsmay be accurately aligned with the openings 3 in the harmonica. Theopenings 3 in the harmonica may be numbered to agree with the numberingupon the plate 13. In other words, when the end 12 of the pointer 11 isarranged in alignment with the numeral 8, the opening 5 in the slidingmember 4 will be aligned with the opening 3, which may be numbered 8 insequence, in the harmonica.

In Figure 2 I have shown a diagrammatic view of a chart 20 which may beused in connection with my invention. The chart embodies certainsymbols, which, in the present instance, are arranged to symbolicallyrepresent the tune Red Wing. The numerals surrounded by circles in thediagrammatic view imply that those notes are to be produced by drawingwhen the opening 5 in the sliding member 4 is in alignment with theopenings 3 numbered on the basis of the arrangement of the numberingupon the plate 13. The other numerals upon the diagram in Figure 2represent notes which are to be produced by blowing. In other words, thefirst numeral in the chart is a 7. The sliding member is moved until thepointer 12 is aligned with the numeral 7 upon the plate 13, at whichtime blowing through the opening 5 in the sliding member 4 will producethat note indicated by the 7 in the chart.

Ordinarily, a beginner should endeavor to learn to play the melodyindependently of the bass and with a view to this end I have providedthe spring member 17 which is shown in Figures 3 and 5; A slightpressure against the member with the tongue will eflectively seal theopenings 6 to 9, inclusive, in the sliding member 4.. hen, however, thetongue is pulled away from the spring member, the latter assumes aposition inclicated in Figure5.

.WVhile I have shown the present invention as being applied to anharmonica having ten openings, which are standardized for harmonicas ofthe single reed construction, it will be understood of course that myinvention is equally applicable to other types of harmonica in which agreater number of openings is employed.

In Figure 6 I have shown a slight modification of the means forsupporting the plate 13. The means comprises substantially channelshapedmembers 15 which are arranged frictionally engaging the end portions ofthe harmonica.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising means adapted to beassociated with an harmonica, operatively movable with respect thereto,and provided with an opening, said opening being arranged to be alignedwith any one or" the openings in the harmonicawhen said means is movedrelatively to the harmonica, a frame associated with the liarmonica andhaving legends marked thereon, pointer means associated with saidfirstnamed means and arranged in operative relation with respect to thelegends upon said frame, said means being provided with a plurality ofadditional openings, and means for closing said plurality of openings.

2. A device'of the type described compris ing means adapted to beassociated with an harmonica, operatively movable with respect thereto,and provided with an opening, said 7 opening being arranged to bealigned with named means and arranged in operative rela- 7 tion withrespect to the legends upon said frame, said meansbeing provided with aplu-' rality of additional openings, and means for pointer'meansassociated with said firstnamed means and arranged in operative relationwith respect to the legends upon said frame, saidmeans being providedwith a plurality of additional openings, and means for closing saidplurality of openings, said firstnamed'means being provided with guideflanges, the openings in said harmonica being provided with legendsrelated to thoseassociatedwith saidirame. Y

4. A device of the type described comprising means provided with anopening and arranged to be slidably associated with an harmonica, theopening being arranged to be aligned with any one of the openings in theharmonica when said means is moved relatively to the harmonica, saidmeans being provided with a plurality of additional openings arranged tobe simultaneously aligned with certain of the openings in,th'eharmonica, and means for opening or closing. said plurality ofadditional openings, independently of said first-named opening.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook,

and State oflllinois this 8th dayof January,

A. D. 1930. V

I .WALTERC. PETERSON..

